Stylish with Substance

In reading this article on WWD (a free one) about CFDA award nominees and their photoshoot, I went scrambling to ensure what seemed to be was not - that there were no female designer nominees. Indeed there are women nominees for this year/2008's awards. See the list here.

Why was I concerned? A big huff has been made and praise given, for the designers (only mentioned [and possibly photographed] were Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, and the Proenza Schouler guys ... wearing their own stuff. (Only a big deal if they're dudes.) Some drag, why yes, Jason Wu wore a green gown. The idea, to me, seems to be all about cross-dressing. (Let's ignore Marc Jacobs' hideous how-was-he-nominated mauled bunny ears .. thing.) But what about female designers? Wouldn't we wear our own goods all the darn time? It seems to be the ultimate dress-up. I imagine it, it's made (or in the beginning; I make it) and then I jaunt around town flaunting my personal wish.

Or is that me? Is it also my crazy brain assuming male designers are more recognized in some ways in the industry? And why is it that it seems so accepted a man - who even gay & fabulous actually might know less about a woman's body and maybe women themselves than straight dudes - designs at least as well as a woman? (I don't quite get how they can do handbags so well... it requires all the love, but they don't usually wear 'em, too? Torture!)

What is true here is that even if they photographed all the designer nominees, or at least one lone female among the listed four boys club, no woman is being promoted here in the released photos.

What gives? And isn't it even more insulting that a man wears a dress here and there are no women in their own sex's clothes? Couldn't this even send the messsage that *just stupid little girl* designers aren't even up to snuff, or barely exist? I don't know, it rubs me entirely wrong.

But possibly not as much as Marc Jacobs' head-piece.

*Update* It's time for more androgeny by Karl Lagerfeld on Fashionologie.

A truly delectable Valentine's Day tie-in---Nine West is offering a promotion, oh of some sort or another, but it's the artistic photograph that I care about. A pump dripping in drool-worthy chocolate. Mmmmmmmm.

Perhaps a hint to the men, get your woman both. High style and high calories?

Oh, women, also check out that Nine West deal. And hey, maybe there's some gift option/idea in it!

I'm off for some sweet treat of a breakfast, methinks. ;-)

*Via LollieShopping*

You know, the kind that leads to more persperation and tonation!

My personal fitness aspiration is to better my body, partially inspired by my toned new boyfriend. (But yes, he loves me the way I am, yet of course wants me to live a long healthy life.) It even makes me think I might want to pierce my belly button like I once had, to show off some "thin bling" (if to no one but him, would be fine). Sure, I'm the ripe old (kidding) age of 27, so I should get crackin'! They don't call them annual resolutions for nothin'.

If you have a similar resolution in 2009, you may have visual daily inspiration with this desktop I made. I made it in standard sizes, plus a widescreen version.

Notice the model is natural and healthy (and happy), not supermodel skinny and miserable.

View more to download and read resolutions

When working on drafts / images / ideas for my recent colorblock post, I came up with a lot of ensemble combinations with current colorblocked (and matching) attire for sale online now. So much work, and none of it is shown yet. For simplicity's sake, I stuck with the pure "match this star's style" theme.

Days later, I discovered a website with the most amazing tool that could help with such outfit pairing or even displaying collections of shopping lists - something many great and interesting fashion bloggers do often - and often from their own hands-on-mouses. Add in a slideshow tool and we'd have lots of great content for one great post.

Polyvore not only lets amateurs or even pros display collages of images, but they allow information and source linking on hover and click, transparancy and other aesthetic embellishments. I can't wait to try them out!

Here's a sample I found (and edited a bit actually to enhance a feature), linking to one of my own blogs! (Must be due to the bag being older by that point and not for sale, ahhh archives, another blogger tool!)

So, what do you think you could do with this service?

*Warning: this post might be inspired by humbleness, and therefore doesn't sugarcoat my faults.*

So with my personal weaknesses it's likely a real killer that I still get paid when I don't -well- work --on the blogs. Sure I have to come back eventually, and I could make more if I updated like mad, but this fall I've felt very ill, so I just depended on getting by.

And even when better, after not blogging for a while, I face the oddest writer's block. Every. single. time.

And I haven't even been selling old bags on the bay like I should - it's just an upsetting/daunting thing to do, I guess.

But I decided to end my break from creating accessories and crafty/knitty goodies. And what started as "try out selling on Etsy.com again before gift-buying stops" turned into addiction and over-time-consuption just like that site tends to inspire.

Although somehow I haven't been all that "product"-ive with what's published on my new shop (Ella Mode Made @ Etsy). I'm a "terrible" perfectionist and it's been hard to get new photos up to my standard. That combined with the slowness of knitting and getting "start this new design project" fever (before finishing the current---the many current) - I'm not really making headway with "finished objects" either.

collage features a Flickr photo of a grey sky by Green Velvet.
depicts: actual grey FL skies, photography issues, sore knitter's
wrists, sewing machine annoyances, me adoring my online work,
lack of money and waiting for snail mail supplies.

Really even though I just had my 27th birthday and have been living on my own for a year, I'm far from being a grown up. I just ... well ... stink. At life? Le sigh.

But at least I have talents, and when I use them enough I have good work. Soon, maybe not soon enough, but soon I will have a stocked product catalog and regular blog entries. And money. Oh yeah........that green stuff, right? Heh.

It's pretty "stinky" that being disabled forces me to not work well for others, yet I can't even force myself to work enough, period. (It's like when in a class the teacher doesn't check homework.) And government help? It's not perfect, but I we have HOPE. And that inspires me.

Also I have about a week straight to be alone and work, because my BFF is away, and that combined with writing more about what else I'm involved with (I know I've said it before); mainly indie, will help this site be "stocked" with words. I might even add a few related features, but by now you know me and my lack of sticking to plans.

Or is that to say falling through on promises? I think I must start my new year resolution early, and that is to follow the mantra, "What would Barack do?"

You know, if he were only a slightly less awesome, design-y/writer chick. ;-)

*P.S. It didn't really fit into the article, but I also have my own domain/shop for Ella Mode at http://ellamo.de :-) .

There was great buzz about the very 1st virtual fashion week held in Second Life last February, but where is the 2nd Second Life Fashion Week in the uber-important fall showings?

[caption id="attachment_1147" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="A Fashion Runway in Second Life"][/caption]

It's not much publicized, but thanks to Second Life's equivalent to Vogue, Second Style, I have the schedule for at least a few shows (fashionably late, I must apologize):

• Sunday, 9/7 - The Art of Autumn Fashion Show, 1 p.m. Too late, sorry.


• Saturday, 9/13 - Styles for Seduction Fashion Show - 2 p.m. again, sorry.


• Sunday, 9/14 - Frida's Fine Fall Fashion Show - 12 p.m. VISIT LIVE!*


• Sunday, 9/14 - Mondira Fashion - 1 p.m. VISIT LIVE!


• Friday, 9/26-Sun. 28 - Impressione Weekend of Beauty - more info

*You must be registered as an avatar and have Second Life installed on your machine to visit the live links.

By the way, I'm working on creating a public calendar
for Lipped Media so both I and any of you may follow
and better remember fashion events!

That is all that seems to be scheduled. The lack of a "hoopla", especially compared to that of the last SLFW, is due to the 1st being sponsored by iVillage, a big company, which for some reason did not continue their involvement. It's sad that support for underground and mass-participation / social/equality is low after initial *shiny* novelty wears off. It's equality sad that a grassroots campaign didn't keep what could have been (and I pray still will be someday) a phenomenon from growing, let alone prevent from shrinking.

I only recently got into Second Life with dreams of selling my own virtual designs, before deciding to hold off temporarily to focus more time on (re-)building the blogs up, but after this I want to make it a point to merge the apparel and indie design with the virtual fashions of Second Life into this blog. It's all fashion and it's something I want to be a part of - even when it's hard to find time for a world that can really suck the first life out of a life's schedule. ;-)

Hopefully I can become actively involved enough to spread the celebration further next February and beyond!

What a beautiful thing! And the art on these women's shirts is really beautiful, itself.

Miss Wit Tees is voted by moi to be the Busted for girls, with shirts that read sayings like, "A woman's place is in the house" (the White House!) There are also shirts for just about any person who's sassy, funny or bold at heart. (And some great progressive liberal stuff, which is alright by me!) I say it's not only for femmes, but Miss Wit totally represents the wit in women.

The Miss Wit Dotsie designs depict what was originally water color etchings of flowering branches, painted by the Miss Wit Mom, who is now deceased. When you wear a Dotsie, you will represent the characteristics of authenticity, humbleness, a giving heart and so much more.

The shirts, in lightweight 4-seasons material in short or long sleeves, range in price from $28 to $36, respectively.

*Hearing snappy music in my head.* I've been working hard (*~for the money~*) all weekend to reorganize and spruce up the layouts of Kiss Me, Stace (this site here), Bag Dream (my bag blog) and Style Spotlight (our star style blog) [hadn't the time to move on to other sites yet]. So hard for the honey that it makes me wonder about what it's worth. Oh, I'd do it no matter what - it is mostly for myself. I just love professionalism and taking pride in what I do and how it all presents. I'm an aesthetic perfectionist and these things matter to me. Maybe it lends to loving fashion, and it certainly gives me the designing bug.

And what about you readers, as fashion fans yourself (most of you)? Do you care to read "pretty" blogs, and not just blogs with pretty accessories? If you can, or if you could, do you/would you put in the time or the money for a knock-out layout?

I think fashion and web/graphic design go hand in handbag. These are sites about physical beauty, after all.

So what do you think? And, after (please) checking out these three sites, how do you like? :-)

Since Rihanna's new single, "Umbrella", features mon nom I just have to feature today's "treasury" selection on the front page of Etsy.com: all rain and umbrellas!

Of course, if you are just now learning for the first time about Etsy's existence, get to shopping! All indie, all hand made. Oh yes. I'll wait here. (Or at Etsy, myself.)